Signal-lamp for railway-cars.



No. 724,156. ATEN'IEUMAR'.4 31, 1903.

R. BLACK.`

SIGNAL LAMP FOR RAILWAY GARS. APPLIGA'TIoN FILED DBO. `11, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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`- UNITED STATES f PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BLACK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE DRESSEL RAI/L- WAY LAMP WORKS, Ol` NEW YORK,l N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNAL-'LAM P FOR RAILWAY-CARS.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,1 56, dated March 31, 1903. Application tiled December 11, 1902. Serial No. 14,737. (No model.)

to be turned horizontally in either direction from within the cars, and the same is an improvement upon the device shown and described in the application led September 9,

Dressel.

The object of my invention is to simplify j tion at right angles to Fig. l.

the construction, to afford more effective protection against storm, and to positively locate the several positions ofthe lamp, so that as turned the parts automatically come to the desired position.

In carrying out my invention I provide a tubular cylindrical support of ca st metal having one end formed with a flange at an iny clination and which flange is adapted for connection to the roof of the car or c aboose, and the other and upper end occupies a horizontal plane.

having lugs at equal spaced apart intered to be received in said notches, and I provide a weather-cap adapted to tit over this locking-plate, over the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support, and to extend down outside of the same as a skirt for an appreciable distance, and the base of the lamp, said weather-cap, and locking-plate are to be securely connected by suitable devices, so that they are adapted to move as one. The central portion of the locking-plate is made as a hub, to which is secured a handle passing downward through the tubular cylindrical support through an aperture .in the roof of the car and terminating within the car in a handle. Extending across the tubular cylindrical support is a bar secured thereto-and having an aperture for said rod, and between Invthis upper end there are a series of notches preferably placed at equal ydistances apart. I provide a locking-plate this bar and a washer held by a pin to said rod is a helical spring, the oliice of which is to hold the looking-plate down, so that the lugs thereof seat ,in the notches in the upper edge of the tubular cylindrical support. As the handle and rod are turned by hand said lugs move out vof their seats in said notches up onto the upper edge of the tubular cylindrical support, the spring yielding with said action, and with the rotation of the parts the said lugs seat in the adjoining notches in the upper end of said support with the progressive movement, all of which parts are herein- 1902, Serial No. 122,646, by Frederick W. y

after more particularly set forth.

In the drawings,- vFigure 1 is an elevation and partial section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sec- Fig. 3 is a sectional plan through the base of the lamp, and Fig. 4 is a planwith the base of the lamp and the Weather-cap removed.

a represents the tubular cylindrical support formed at one end at an inclination with a flange a', which flange agrees with the inclination of the roof of the car, so that said support a occupies a vertical position and its upper enda horizontal plane. Between the flange a of said support and the roof b of the car I prefer to employ a packing of suitable material, said parts being securely held in position by bolts or suitable devices, as shown in Fig. 2. v

In the roof of the car there is an opening b in the center of the support-a, through which passes the rod f, which rod may be of any desired length, extending down into the car and terminating in a handle f. The upper end of the tubular cylindrical support d is provided with notches 2, there vbeing by preferencefour in number,spaced at equal distances apart.

e represents a locking-plate fitting within the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support d and having projecting lugs 3, which are shown as four in number-at equal' distances apart. These lugs are adapted to tit and to be received in the notches 2 at the upper end of the support a, and the center of the locking-plate is provided with a hub c'.

The lugs have curved under surfaces and the notches correspond in contour. l

CZ represents the base ot' the lamp, and c IOO weather-cap comprising an inverted dishing or cup-shaped structure coming between the locking-plate e and the base of the lampd and having a flange or skirt portion extending down for an appreciable distance outside of the tubular cylindrical support d. The base of the lamp d, the weather-cap c, and the locking-plate e are securely connected by bolts d'. This locking-plate e is shown as of open construction in Fig. 4 for lightness.

Within the tubular cylindrical support is a guide-bar g, extending centrally across the same, provided with an aperture for the rod fand with downwardly-extending ends, and bolts 5 pass through said ends and through the tubular cylindrical support a to secure the bar g in position. The rodfis shown as extending into the hub e of the locking-plate and as secured thereto by a pin 4, and the end face of the hub comes closely adjacent to the upper surface of the barg. Between the under surface of the bar g and a washer 6, surrounding and -secured in position to the rodf by a pin 7, is a helical spring h around the rod f, the ottice of which is to apply tenl sion expansively to hold the locking-plate down upon the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support a, and thereby to retain in position the lamp-base, the weather-cap, the said rod, and the handle on the lower end thereof by virtue of the lugs 3, held in the notches 2 of said support. This structure determines the position of the base of the lamp and with the same the entire lamp structure carried thereby and further determines the direction of the light from thelamp and the color thereof by means of devices well known in the art.

When it is desired to turn the lamp to change the color, the handle f is grasped and it and the rod f are turned with force, which raises the lugs 3 ont of the notches 2 against the action of the spring h, said lugs rising upon the upper surface of the tubular cylindrical support, and with the further movement of the parts said lugs, by virtue of the action of the spring h, drop into the next adjoining notches.

According to the construction 'illustrated it will be observed that it is possible to turn the lamp-body a quarter of a revolution at a time with each movement imparted to the handle and rod. This structure is substantially automatic in its action, as it is not necessary Vfor the attendant to be provided with any device to indicate the location of the lamp upon the tubular cylindrical support, as the location is determined by the lugs and notches hereinbefore described. This structure is exceedingly simple and eective, and the weather-cap c as a skirt surrounding the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support makes it substantially impossible for any rain or snow to find its way within the tubular cylindrical support and so down into the car.

I claim as my invention- I. In a railway signal-lamp adapted for use on the roofs of cars, the combination with the lamp-body and a tubular cylindrical support having one end formed at an inclination and adapted for connection to the roof of the car, of a locking-plate received in the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support and having portions adapted to engage the upper edge of said tubular cylindrical support, a handoperated rod passing axially through the tubular cylindrical support, through the roof of the car and down within the car, a connection from said rod to said locking-plate, and a guide therefor, and a spring around said rod adapted to hold said locking-plate in po sition, and means for connecting the lampbody and locking-plate so that they turn together.

2. In a railway signal-lamp adapted for use on the roofs of cars, the combination with the lamp-body and a tubular cylindrical support having one end formed at an inclination and adapted for connection to the roof of the car, of a locking-plate received in the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support and havingl portions adapted to engage the upper edge of said tubular support, a hand-operated rod passing axially through the tubular cylindrical support, through the roof of the car and down within the car, a 'connection from said rod to said locking-plate and a guide therefor, and a spring around said rod adapted to hold said lockingplate in position, means for connecting the lamp body and locking-plate so that they turn together, and a weather-cap comprising a plate secured to and between the locking-plate and lamp-body and having a downwardly-extending rim or skirt surrounding the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support.

3. In a railway signal-lamp adapted for use on the roofs of cars, the combination with the lamp-body, of a tubular cylindrical support having oneend formed at an inclination and adapted for connection to the roof of the car, said support having equidistant spaced-apart notches in its upper end, a locking-plate adapted to be received in the upper end of said support and having projecting lugs at equidistant spaced-apart intervals agreeing with and adapted to be received in said notches,a manually-operated rod passing verticallyl and axially through said tubular cylindrical support and at its upper end connected to a hub of the locking-plate whereby the said plate may be turned by said rod, de-

vices for guiding said rod and yielding devices for holding said locking-plate to its seat and which permit the same to be turned at the pleasure of an attendant, and means for connecting the lamp-body and locking-plate.

4. In a railway signal-lamp adapted for use on the roofs of cars, the combination with the lamp-body, of a tubular cylindricalsupport having one end formed at an inclination and adapted for connection to the roof:` of the car, said support having equidistant spaced-apart notches in its upper end, a locking-plate IOO IIO

adapted to be received in the upper end of said support and having projecting lugs at equidistant spaced-apart intervals agreeing with and adapted to be received in said notches, a manually-operated rod passing vertically and axially through said tubular cylindrical support and at its upper end connected to a hub of the-lockingplate whereby the said plate may be turned by said rod, a bar extending across the tubular cylindrical support and forming a guide for said rod, a pin connected to said rod and a washer around said rod above said pin, and a helical spring between said washer and the said guide-bar acting expansivelyto hold the projections of the locking-plate into engagement with the notches in the upper end of the tubular cy-l with and adapted to be received in said notches,a manually-operated rod passing vernected to a hub of the locking-plate whereby said plate may be turned by said rod, a bar.

extending across thetubular cylindrical support and forming a guide for said rod, a pin connected to said rod and a Washer around said rod above said pin, and a helical spring between said washer and the said guidebar acting expansively to hold the projectionsof the locking-plate into engagement with ithe notches in the upper end of the tubular cylindrical support, means for connecting the lamp-body and looking-plate, and a weathercap comprising a plate and a ange or skirt forming the periphery thereto, said plate being held between the lamp-body and lockingplate and'secured thereto, and the skirt extending down over the upper end of the tuL bular cylindrical support,substantially as and for the purposes setforthi Signed by me this 5th day of December, 1902.

ROBERT BLACK.

Witnesses: t

DAVID L. WooDALL, FLOYD KL PINCKNEY. 

